Seaplane pontoon



Dec. 1 193s'. L. J. wHlTE ET AL 2,062,384

SEAPLANE P( NTOON Filed April sa, 1935 f Patented l, 1936 UNITED STATESPATENT oil-Fica SEAPLANE PoN'rooN Lorencay white and clarence w. Munn,M11- waukee, Wis., assignors of one-fourth to Della M. Huelsbeck,Milwaukee, Wis. Application Api-11 29, 1935, sel-m Nt. issus rangedcontrols located relatively remote fromA the positions of said meanswhether same be 15 beneath the cabin assembly or beneath outboardpontoon elements removed `from the `main or cabin portion. I

The providing of novel structure integrally incorporated in theconstruction of aeronautical 20 craft such as seaplanes, or, asindependent means attachable to aeronautical craft already existingprior to this innovation, permitting the employment of compressed-air,or exhaust gases, as

forces assisting buoyant constructions when ris- 25 ing from theirsupporting element.

Other advantages will be specifically referred to throughout theparticular description and pointed out in the appended claims, bothdivisions of this application referring to the accompanying 30 drawingillustrating this invention.

The several views shown are indexed as follows:

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a hull, or,

pontoon-like structure. 35 Fig. 2 is a bottom-plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspective viewof one modification. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of anothermodification. 40 In view of the plurality and buoyant similarity commonto a ship-like cabin hull and its associated pontoons, this descriptionwill be confined to one such assembly. Those associated accessoriesnecessary in the controlling of sea-going planes 45 will, of course, beunderstood as requisite equipment located 'about the piiots quarterswhere the instrument panels will include such additional means fittedfor actuating the present invention. The structural elements ofconcerned crafts, u wherein this improvement is installed, will be takenadvantage of for supporting or masking from view those elements requiredfor conveying the principal forces employed and the tubes through whichremote control is effected. The

` 55 several valves, fittings, and man1-.ally controlled apparatus, willbesuch appurtenances as are best adapted to the duties each perform, thesame being in accord with standard practice in theaeroplane industry..In this regard the disclosures seen on the drawing'are, Tin a sense,dia- 5 grammatic views that infer accepted materials pertinent andproper to the purposes involved.

Similar characters of reference apply to like parts throughouttheseveral views.` Y

Referring to the drawing, P is a pontoon assembly designed in thecustomary manner to provide an air-tight and buoyant sliell offering thehull formation H, whose after portion is fashioned to leave awake-relief provision Ha in the pontoons keel-line proper. The last tobe submerged portion Ha is designed to provide a hollow manifoldconstruction M whose particular arrangement offers major ducts` D fromwhich extend minorducts Dathat terminate in flared and slit-like nozzlesN. The major ducts unite in a medial passage G which ends in the form ofa regular tube that is threaded to receive an air operated valveV thelatter functioning as a uniting element joining said regular tube to astorage reservoirR. located within the pontoon P. The said reservoirwill be a separable unit supplying the said manifold M which latter, inthis instance, is an integral part of the pontoon structures hull whichat this point is formed with double plate members welded together toform l the necessary duct provisions set forth. 'I'he innermost plate Swillbe impressed to oil'er the ducts D, Da, 'the inner portions of thenozzles N, and the root of the tube G. The outer plate Sa will beregularly surfaced to conform to the smooth face of the hull body H,except at the nozzle mouths where there will be a slight. expanding ofthe plate Sa to attain the desired flare for the slit openings Na. Itwill be obvious that a reservoir, such as R, will not be an essen- 40tial element where the manifold lassembly is @For this reason particularconceptions o`f such considerations are here omitted beyond a mentionthat such means will be provided to permit the use of desired forces.Where the force is their equivalent for aquaplanes. Theseconvencompressed-air, a suitable pump, geared to the crafts motor, willsupply an equally apprilpriaie container tank aboard the main orfuselage section. The take-off instances will, except in emergencies,occur at definite stations, or, ports of call whereat there are all thoconveniencesnecessary to the equipping of landingiields, or',

iences include compressed-airV service ready to replenish the reservoirsR should they require this attention. From the said reservoir will leada pipe or conduit whose terminusin the craft's cock-pit will include asuitable throttle-valve for admitting the exhaust gases, orcompressed-air,

designated as T, the said throttle-valve being Ta. In this conduit willoccur an air-supply valve Va wheretomay he attached the replenishingline from a `land station air source. At any convenient location in thissame line (T) there will be a pressure-gauge o between the reservoir Rand the valve Ta. The conduit or line T is -connected-up as the labelappearing infers. Be-

tween the linesl valve Ta and the said source, a

. tube C leads from the conduit T to the valve V and this element iscontrolled by a suitable valve Ca for actuating the valve V which latteris of appropriate design that opens in response to pressure passedthrough said tube in order to release the contents of theV reservoir Rwhich finds its` discharge through the nozzles N; the valve functions toclose Vautomatically when the said pressure is withdrawn. The pressureconveying film breaking up the relationship between hull and water. Thesaidmanifold will be a bifurcated arrangement, or, a singulararrangement as conditions demand. The sumV of the outlet areas formingthe discharge orifices will be equal to the diametrical area of theaforesaid passage G to assure uniform discharge through all ofthesaidoriiiceaihevalvevfunctionsasachockvalve for safeguarding the mervoiragainst4 The manifold M beings. consonant part of the general structurewill take the shape of the hull H: however, this invention intendsapplication to craft already existingand in order to meet the conditionsprevailing a separate entity, shown as lig. 4, is devised. Themodincation M' is in all respects the equivalent of the bifurcatedarrangement shown. The nozzles may be separable elements N', which arethreaded to the main body within the hull H. Fig. 5 shows another formM" that offers a singular arrangement with more direct nozzle connectionthereto. In the Fig. 4 concept the necks Do would be attached then bentto align thel discharge orifices with respect .to the hulls contour.

Havingdescribed the invention what is claimed and desired to protect byUnited States Letters Patent, is:-

1. A pontoon structure incorporating avpressure force reservoir; -atapering keel-following conduit leading from said reservoir; relativelyreduced branch passages continuing laterally the service offered by said conduit; singular, flared, and, relatively enlarged nozzleformations terminating said conduit and said passages; slitopenings-providing a restricted discharge orifice for each of thesaidnozzles; said orifices disposed to be coincident to the transversecurvature of the pontoons outer hull surface; and a valve elementbetween said reservoir and said conduit responsive vto remote controlmeans, selectively directing the replenishing product of said reservoir,for unobstructedly uniting said reservoir and said conduit within theaforesaid pontoon. l

2. A pontoon structure having, a double-plate hull portion, the innerplate member of said portion embossed to offer a-keel-following conduitextended by laterally branching passages, nozzle formationsprovided'with slit discharge orifices'- fashioned by expanding the outermember of said portion, said formations terminating said conduit andsaid passages when said members are integrally joined together, and acompleted tubular aspect given said inner plate member for permittingthe connecting of same to a valve gated pressure reservoir within saidpontoon.

LQREN JAY Wm'IEL CLARENCE w. MUNN.

